Signor



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

A E HUGHES GOTTON HABVESTER.

,040. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

ATTEST;

INVENTOR.

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. 1-1. HUGHES. COTTON HARVESTER.

No. 409,040. Patented Aug. 13, 1889..

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INVENTOR.

ATTEST. ml

N. PETERS, PhclO-Ulhogmplwr, wqsim teu; 9. cv

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. E. HUGH-ES. COTTON HARVESTER.

No, 409,040. Patented Aug. 13,1889.

A TEST.

INVENTOR'.

N. PFIERS PHowmm rw, Wash; (an Bic.

(No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. A. E. HUGHES. COTTON HARVESTE'R.

Patented Aug. 13, 1889..

INVENTOR.

ATTEST.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. HUGHES, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AS-

SIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HUGHES COTTON I-IARVESTER COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY.

COTTON-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,040, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed May 25, 1888. Serial No. 275,064. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District-of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Harvesters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in picking cotton from the pod in the field, which improvements will be fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cotton-harvester without the fan-casing, the conveying-trunk, and the receiver or receptacle for the picked cotton. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same parts, showing the fan-casing, the conveying-trunk, and the cotton-lint receiver or receptacle, the machine here represented being complete. Fig. 3 is a top view of the machine as represented in Fig. 1. Fig.4 is avertical section taken longitudinally through the center of the improved machine, indicated by dotted line y g on Fig. 3.

Before describing my improvements I premise that I combine with cotton-picking disks a fan-blast, which will, as hereinafter appears, co-operate with the picking devices to pick the cot-ton from the pod and deliver it into a suitable receiver or receptacle, from which the accumulated lint can be removed at pleasure.

In the annexed drawings, A designates the main frame of the machine, which is braced by diagonal beams B B, extending from the front transverse beam of the main frame converging to the rear and rigidly secured to both rear transverse beams.

C C designate the two transporting and driving wheels, which are preferably ribbed,

as shown in the annexed drawings, so that they are practically traction-wheels. The short axles a a of these wheels are journaled in boxes rigidly secured to the longitudinal beams of the main frame beneath this frame, and not shown in the annexed drawings. To the said wheels C C are concentrically secured master spur-wheels D D, which engage in front with pinion spur-wheels Z) Z), which are keyed on short transverse shafts c c, that are journaled in boxes on top of the longitudinal beams of the main frame and the diagonal beams or braces B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the annexed drawings. Between the longitudinal beams of the main frame and the said diagonal beams or braces I key on the short shafts c 0 intermediate gear-Wheels d, which engage with pinion gear -wheels 6, which latter are keyed on the shafts f of picker-disks E. The shafts of these disks are arranged obliquely to the line of draft, and they are equidistant from a vertical plane passing centrally and longitudinally through the machine, for a purpose whichI shallhereinafter explain.

On the inner face of each picker-disk I arrange, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, several concentric series of picking-fingers g, which are all so directed that they grab the cotton lint from the pods and practically clean the latter without tearing the pods or leaves of the plants. These fingers g may be pointed, rasped, or serrated, as desired, or they may have blunt ends with their bodies left smooth.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. 1 and 3 that the picking-disks E E diverge forward, so that they are not only pickers, but

they are also gatherers, of the tops of the plants in the row being picked. They are also auxiliaries in condensing the spread plants.

On the inner ends of the oblique pickingdisk shafts f are concave-convex shares, blades, or scoops which form plant-gatherers F,inthe rear ends of which the said shafts are suitably j ournaled. These shafts f afford the rear supports for the gatherers, which latter diverge forwardly and flare both upwardly and inwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed drawings. The front edges of the upper wings of the gatherers F are directed backward from bottom to top, and to the outer sides thereof I rigidly secure, by rivets or otherwise, arms 71, 011 the front ends of which I apply wheels 1', the object of which is to follow the sinuosities of the surface passed over and prevent the front depressed ends of the said gatherers from digging into the surface earth 011 each side of the hills or rows of plants. It will also be observed by reference to Fig. 3 of the annexed drawings that I employ brackets j, which are rigidly secured to the diagonal beam B, and also to the arms 7L. These brackets serve as braces and prevent the gatherers F from lateral deflection during the operation of the machine.

At the rear of the inaster-wheelsI) and engaging with them are pinion-gear wheels 70, which are keyed 011 short shafts Z, journaled in boxes on top of the longitudinal and diagonal beams of the main transporting-frame, as shown in Fig. ()n these shafts Z are keyed drums or pulleys m, which, by means of belts n, transmit rotative motion at great speed to a fan II, acting through the medium of pulleys a, which are keyed on the horizontal transverse shaft II of said fan, which shaft is journaled in standards J, secured upon the main frame.

The fan if is inclosed by a case K, open at its ends, which case communicates, by means of an upwardly-direeted trunk or chute L, with a lint receiver or basket M, in which the upper halves or portions of the pickingdisks E are received, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This lint-receiver n'iay be made wholly or partly of gauze wire or numerously-perforated side walls, but for all practical purposes the sides, top, and bottom walls are not perforated and the front wall is composed of a reticulated door N, through which the strong air-blasts induced by the rapidly-revolving fan II are allowed to escape from the receiver in the direction indicated by the arrows on Fig. 4-.

In Fig. i- I have represented an inclined board P, which is directed upwardly and forwardly from the floor of the receiver or lintbasket M, for the purpose of preventing the lint compacting against the picking-disks E inside of said receiver. I have represented in Fig. i in full lines the said inclined board arranged wholly in advance of the periphcries of the picking-disks E E; but I may locate this board or partition so that it is within the circumferences of the said disks, and its ends are suificiently far from the picking -fingers to allow a free clearance thereof.

It will be observed that the lint, dsc, is directed upward by the centrifugal impetus of the picking-disks, and is spread both laterally and longitudinally by the said board P and the blast from the fan. The cotton, &c., is thus opened and left loose and free in the front chamber R. The board is therefore a deflector.

In operation when the machine is moved forward over a row of cotton-plants the gatherers F not only pick up the fallen cottonplants, but they condense the pod-bearing limbs of these plants and bring them within the compass of the ascending picking-fingers gin rear of the said gatherers. These fingcrs pick the cotton from the pods and bring the lint under the influence of the strong di rect blast of air rushing from the fan-case through the trunk L and through the receiver or receptacle M. The picking-lingers g are thus stripped of the gathered cotton lint, which is forcibly driven forward into the chamber R, in front of the deflecting-board 1", where it accumulates. This deflectingboard I may be moved to the position indicated in broken lines a on Fig. 4, for the purpose described.

It will be observed that after the pickingfingers are cleared of lint, as described, they descend beneath the floor of the receiver or receptacle outside of the upper wings of the gatherers. Therefore they do not drag the plants nor the cotton-bearing pods downward, and only grab the lint from the pods in rear of the gatherers F.

\Vhen a proper quantity of cotton lint has been gathered, the reticulated door N is opened and the cotton removed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cotton-harvester, the combination of rotating disks arranged side by side, converging toward the rear and provided with pickingfingers arranged obliquely to the face of said disks, the upwardly-dcfleeting board forward of said disks, and a reticulated receiver for receiving the cotton, as specified.

2. The combination, in a cotton-harvester, of rotative disks mounted on substantially transverse axes, said disks converging toward the rear of the machine and having picker-fingers arranged obliquely to the face thereof, means for rotating the disks, a lintreceiver, and a blast-fan blowing across the disks into the receiver, as specified.

3. The combination, in a cotton-harvester, of two opposing rotating disks converging toward the rear of the machine, braced gatherers projecting forward therefrom, an upwardly-directed deflecting-board leading from the disks, and a fan for blowing the cotton off the disks over the board, as specified.

l. The combination, in a cotton-harvester, of two opposing rotating disks converging toward the rear of the machine, gatherers projecting forward therefrom, a reticulated cotton-receiver, a deflecting-board leading from the disks and projecting into said re- 5 ceiver, and a blast-fan blowing the cotton from the disks into the receiver, substantially as described. I

ALEXANDER E. HUGHES.

WVitnesses:

J. MONAMEE, H. J. ENNIS. 

